#dis was such a bad day 2 write dis thought wahh..

[keijoikawa]

there’s the soft pitter patter of rain on the hotel room’s window; it’s odd and not often seen on the planet of festivities. with narrowed eyes watching the tracks that drops of rain make as they run down the window, aventurine wonders if it’s pathetic fallacy of the brunette curled up into his side or even worse, foreshadowing.

shaking his head, his eyes soften as he turns his gaze down to her. she’s remained quiet since they settled down an hour ago and he wishes he could hear what she was thinking, even if just for a moment. with a small noise, he rubs her shoulder to catch her attention. she’s sleepy, eyes half open as she tilts her head up to meet his eyes and he can’t help but smile— how didn’t he run out of all the luck in the cosmos when he snagged her?

“what are you thinking about, little bunny?” he murmurs quietly and she hums, shifting closer into his side as if she could - she’s already as close as possible. as if noticing this, aventurine’s bare hands guide her hips onto his lap, letting her tuck her head into his neck. for a moment he considers facing the consequences of backing out of the mission. would it kill him as much as leaving her would? he assumes not.

“i’m gonna miss you,” alexi mumbles finally, bumping her cold nose against his neck. aventurine finds it in him to chuckle despite the way her words tear apart his heart, “you’ll come back for me, won’t you?”

the blond goes quiet, drowning in regretful thoughts. he hadn’t told her half of what this mission really entailed, he’d merely stated that he was going away. it wasn’t a lie - he was leaving the penacony fabricated by the family, chasing after the real penacony but aventurine knew there could be a chance he doesn’t turn back. he knows there’s a chance the left side of her bed will remain empty in the dreamscape, that she’ll come back to reality with a mind full of anxiety. he knows that for the whole ordeal that aventurine collar around her neck won’t move a muscle, not unclasped once; not unless he does it for her and with him not around, she’ll refuse to take it off.

“of course i will, princess,” he finally speaks, noticing that dark blue eyes are looking up at him in worry. they glitter upon getting a response from him, “there’s a… good friend of mine currently staying on penacony that i’ve contacted in regards to keeping an eye on you until i get back so.. behave for him, okay?”

alexi nods enthusiastically but he notes how she’s fidgeting slightly, her pulse racing while his thumb drifts over her wrist. their last moment together is almost up, the clock on the wall ticking loudly in their ears as a constant reminder. aventurine curses himself mentally. she’s scared.

suddenly the brunette raises his left hand with hers, palms pressed together and aventurine furrows his brows in confusion. it wasn’t uncommon for alexi to compare their hand sizes but this wasn’t the circumstances he assumed she’d do it under, that is until her quiet voice speaks out into the hotel room.

“may the mother goddess thrice close her eyes for you,” she whispers, a sparkle in her eyes that unmistakeably are recognised as the sting of tears as aventurine’s brightly coloured eyes widen, “keeping your blood eternally pulsing.”

aventurine’s breath catches in his throat, quickly leaning forward to press his lips to hers desperately. he refuses to part their palms, his other hand gripping her hip as he tries to pull her closer— no, his luck must have run out getting someone like her, finally. the girl makes a small noise of surprise, their noses nudging each other when aventurine gets too desperate to convey just how much he loves her. he’s running out of time.

after a few seconds that leave them both lost for breath, he pulls back just the slightest, his lips still ghosting hers as he speaks, hot breath mixing with her pants for air, “may your journey be forever peaceful and your schemes forever concealed.”

despite the way tears are threatening to spill from deep sea blue eyes, alexi smiles a little, lacing the fingers of their pressed-togeher hands as she presses another kiss to his lips, less desperate and needy than his initial kiss.

when aventurine first took up this mission from diamond, he wanted an opportunity to cut free from past shackles and the ipc. he couldn’t have cared less if he returned or not, whether he was successful or not. he wanted the aventurine cornerstone’s light to die, to have some control of his life for once.

but he realises now that he does care if he returns or not. he may want to see the aventurine cornerstone dim but he will never want to see the light dim in her eyes; never want to see the day her collar comes off or see her put down his poker chip, the very one she carries everywhere with her as a good luck charm. because the more he thinks about it, that collar - and very much the young girl wearing it - are more important than his cornerstone will ever be to him.

he will return. he has to return. in the meantime, he can only pray to gaiathra triclops that she holds on for him - and that the doctor keeps his promise to take care of her in his stead.